IUCN SSC CPSG Species Conservation Planning Tools Library

The Species Conservation Planning Tools Library is coordinated by the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG) in collaboration with the IUCN SSC Species Conservation Planning Sub-Committee.

The Species Conservation Planning Tools Library is a new resource to connect species conservation practitioners to well-tested planning tools suitable for use in a variety of planning situations. This tools library is intended for use by species conservation experts that seek a practical and accessible reference to the many tools and processes available for designing and implementing a detailed and effective conservation planning approach. This resource will continually respond to the needs of the community and the evolving state of the science in the field of endangered species conservation.

The tools library is the product of a CPSG workshop held in Abruzzi, Italy in 2010. The full report from the workshop is available here.

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Scimitar-horned Oryx: Back to the Wild – IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group Newsletter – GSAP SKILLS Online Knowledge Platform

Welcome to the GNUSLETTER Special Issue Number 2, which is exclusively dedicated to the Scimitar-horned Oryx. This Special Issue has been produced to celebrate the positive change in status of the Scimitar-horned Oryx on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. Scimitar-horned Oryx became extinct in the wild by the end of the 1980s or early 1990s. Animals from the large ex situ population were re-established in fenced protected areas in Tunisia beginning in 1985 and in Senegal in 1998. The programme to reintroduce a fully free-living population in Ouadi Rime – Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve (OROAFR, Réserve de faune de Ouadi Rimé – Ouadi Achim) in Chad began in the early 2000s. The first group of captive-bred Scimitar-horned Oryx was transferred from Abu Dhabi to Chad in March 2016 and placed in an acclimatisation enclosure. Twenty-one oryx were released into the wild in August 2016 and the first wild birth was recorded in September. Eight more releases have occurred and young oryx have been born every year since 2016.

National Species Conservation Strategy for Türkiye

This National Species Conservation Strategy outlines the rich biodiversity of Türkiye, the key threats facing species, the existing national legislation and protected area network supporting conservation efforts, and the activities required to preserve species for future generations. The document presents the outcomes of an expert- led participatory process in developing this strategy. Furthermore, the governance and monitoring structure required to implement the strategy successfully is detailed. The full implementation of this strategy (2023-2032) is of great importance, which will result in positive outcomes for both the biodiversity and the people of Türkiye.

Effective Enforcement Strategy in the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area

Through the investment of technologies, the effective enforcement strategy and engagement with the stakeholders in reducing illegal fishing activities within the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) are effective.

Can we save critically endangered relict endemic plant species? A case study of endemics in Egypt

Rosa arabica and Primula boveana is a perennial endemic to the high mountain area of St. Catherine Protected Area (SCPA) in Egypt and listed as one of the most 100 threatened plants in the world. Recently, they listed as Critically Endangered due to their small Extent of Occurrence and tiny population size (less than 90). The continuous decline in habitat quality for this species and the urgent need to carry out on-ground conservation actions were reported. Many attempts were made in the past to cultivate them in the wild, but they did not succeed. So, this solution aims to conserve them through in situ practices by implementing the following steps, respectively: a) IUCN Red List, b) Ecological Niche Modeling, and c) based on the previous two steps, translocation process for R. arabica in the suitable habitat will be done after carrying out simple layering process (local community traditional method) as one of the most effective traditional vegetative methods for wild cultivation for this species.

Rainforest Connection & Huawei: Acoustics for Biodiversity Monitoring and Threat Detection

Rainforest Connection (RFCx) has built the connective tissue to make acoustics a scalable worldwide approach to data collection and analysis for conservation. Our platform, including tools for biodiversity analysis and threat detection and a suite of hardware, enables people to understand ecosystem impacts.

The RFCx system can be used to:

  • Send real-time alerts to people who are able to investigate potential threats.
  • Find patterns of activity for planned interventions and measure effectiveness of responses.
  • Accommodate large data sets that can be used for biodiversity monitoring and shared.
  • Facilitate in-depth, long-term acoustic monitoring.
  • Evaluate the impacts of different management or conservation activities.
  • Follow the population dynamics of species over many years.

Digital Recreational Site management system using a dedicated app and web based backend

Utilising smartphone technology to develop the first dedicated digital outdoor recreational and environmental site management system. It replaces the current general disparate and mainly paper based management systems outdoor recreation sites with an integrated digital system. It ensures that multiple bodies, agencies and community groups who are all involved in managing an outdoors recreational site can use the one system. The system is offered on a “fremium” model to community groups and this is subsidised by Government agencies who pay for the system.
positive impacts:
– smartphone based transcribing from paper.

Works on android and apple devices and has built in maps so no mobile coverage is needed out in the field

– all users of the system are linked back to a user ID so recording can be authenticated

– all monitoring reports and remedial actions are stored securely in “the cloud

– geolocating all data allows detailed reporting and makes year on year comparisons (i.e viewing effects of programs tacking invasive species)

Integrated technology platform to support conservation – protecting wildlife and people

Ol Pejeta is home to the largest population of critically endangered black rhinos in E. Africa. Protecting them and other wildlife is a great responsibility and we utilize technology where it adds value. In 2019 we rolled out EarthRanger (ER), a software platform that collects protected area activity information (the animals and assets being protected, the rangers protecting them, and threats of potential poaching) into a single, integrated, real-time visualized operational platform. It amalgamates data from different sources including animal GPS tracking collars, ranger digital radio systems/vehicle trackers, and ranger recorded observations. ER allows us to see key information in one place, enabling informed and faster conservation-related operational decisions.

ER was developed in collaboration with Vulcan Inc. through our Conservation Tech Lab. The Lab acts as a field-based space for technologists and scientists to test and deploy solutions, but also as a center for collaboration, learning and sharing knowledge.

Tech-enabled fire prevention system to save vital giant panda habitat in tangjiahe national nature reserve (green list) and 165 other important protected areas in sichuan province, china. PATHFINDER AWARD 2021 WINNER

Significant conservation impact from technology: the solution uses real-time analysis of satellite images to detect possible fire events. These are rapidly verified and fire events are communicated instantly to rangers in the affected protected areas. Speed is essential. Climate change is making fire more frequent with rapid spreading of events. However there has been a 71% decrease in serious fire events so far in 2021 because of this solution.

Implementing the ArcGIS Protected Area Management Solution for holistic landscape monitoring in the West Lunga ecosystem, Zambia.

Protected areas are faced with numerous ecological, social, and economic challenges both inside and outside their boundaries. Most of these challenges occur over vast spatial scales and are often magnified by a lack of resources to adequately monitor and respond to challenges. The ArcGIS Protected Area Solution (PAM) is an effective way to address these challenges holistically and at scale. PAM allows users to rapidly configure several workflows for effective area management.

M.A.P Scientific Services implemented PAM for the West Lunga Conservation Project (WLCP) in West Lunga National Park, Zambia. The Solution targeted workflows that improve monitoring of the area, these included remote sensing of deforestation and wildfires, law enforcement, wildlife sightings, and community outreach. Outcomes have allowed for improved monitoring and evidence-based management of the protected area that benefits conservation and communities whose livelihoods are intrinsically dependent on the West Lunga ecosystem and its services.

AI-based visitor safety management system of Korean National Parks

“Are there any innovative solutions for national park visitors to meet nature without any risk of danger?” The long-standing concerns of Korean park rangers have begun to achieve great results by establishing an AI-based visitor safety management system using the latest technology. This system automatically monitors and analyzes the potential safety hazard areas in national parks 24 hours a day by combining measuring equipment such as CCTV, crack gauge, and artificial intelligence. When signs of danger are identified, an alarm is sent to the site where visitors are staying and the control center in the national park office for follow-up and to prevent the risks in advance. 89 intelligent CCTVs have been installed in 15 national parks since 2020, and 525 automatic and manual crack gauges have been operated in 174 potential rockfall hazard areas of 21 national parks since 2013.

IUCN SSC CPSG Conservation Planning’s PHVA Workshop Process

Complex issues in endangered species conservation planning require creative solutions.

Our Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) workshop process – used around the world since the early 1990s – has been designed with this creativity in mind.

A typical PHVA workshop features the scientific rigor of a population viability analysis (PVA) that helps wildlife biologists and managers more clearly understand the threats that influence populations. The PVA effort is combined with innovative methods for helping people organize and evaluate information across a broad range of disciplines and perspectives.

Through this integration, workshop participants create more effective actions for species conservation that also take into account the social, cultural, and economic needs of local people. When local stakeholders help create the action plan themselves, they are much more likely to implement it.

IUCN SSC CPSG Conservation Planning Specialist Group Webinar Series

CPSG runs webinars on topics related to species conservation planning to engage, support, and maintain contact with designers and facilitators of species conservation planning processes worldwide. The webinars are designed to help us to critically review good practice through presentations and discussions with practitioners from a range of conservation-related disciplines.  In particular we are keen to encourage reflection on CPSG’s Species Conservation Planning Principles & Steps and their relevance to improving the status of species worldwide.